Ukraine is facing drastic restrictions on its electricity supply. Due to Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure, the population must prepare for up to twelve hours a day without electricity.
Ukrainians must prepare for massive problems with the electricity supply. “In the next and subsequent weeks, the situation will be much more difficult than today,” warned the head of the energy supplier Ukrenerho, Volodymyr Kudryzkyj, on television.
Due to the ongoing Russian attacks on the infrastructure, there will be an increasing number of scheduled shutdowns and power cuts until the end of July. Ukrainians must prepare themselves for having no electricity for up to twelve hours a day, said Kudryzkyj. Outages can occur again and again, especially in the evenings and when a particularly large number of consumers are using electricity.
Reconstruction of the Power supply could take years
People in the country already have to live with power outages again and again. Today, a Russian attack on the eastern Ukrainian region of Poltava resulted in several injuries and a power outage for 55,000 people, according to the region’s governor.
President Volodymyr Zelenksy recently said that the country could only produce half as much electricity as it did last year. Emergency power imports from neighboring countries Romania, Poland, Hungary and Moldova were not enough to maintain the power grid “due to the extent of the damage,” Ukrenergo said in early June. It could take years before the Ukrainian power industry can be restored.
Russian attacks on civilian structures
The Russian army has expanded its systematic attacks on the Ukrainian electricity infrastructure in recent months. Thermal power plants, dams and even substations are being attacked.
This is also why Ukraine is asking for more air defence systems. Last winter, millions of people had to go without heating in freezing temperatures.